Shafiga Akhundova

Shafiga Akhundova (Azerbaijani: Şəfiqə Axundova; 21 January 1924 – 26 July 2013) was a prominent Azerbaijani composer, the first professional female author of an opera in the East and People's Artist of Azerbaijan.

Akhundova was born into a family of an eminent cultural figure Gulam Akhundov in Shaki in 1924. Gulam Bagir oglu Akhundov, who was a public servant and intellectual of his time, worked as the first secretary of Shaki between 1917 and 1920, while her mother was a housewife.

In 1943–1944, Shafiga received her primary education at Baku Musical School named after Asaf Zeynally, where she was taught by Uzeyir Hajibeyov. Then, in 1956, she continued her education at Azerbaijan State Conservatoire named after Uzeyir Hajibeyov, where she graduated from the class of B. Zeydman. In 1998, Shafiga Akhundova was conferred a title of People's Artist of Azerbaijan and in 2004 she was awarded the Shohrat Order.

Read more about this composer on Wikipedia.